Watch your medications, endocrinologist counsels people with diabetes

A professor of Medicine at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Olufemi Fasanmade has advised Nigerians living with diabetes to pay attention to their medicines to avoid treatment failure and ability to control the condition.

Speaking at a virtual media roundtable  meeting organized by a multinational pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk to commemorate the 2024 World Diabetes Day, Fasanmade who is also a consultant endocrinologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, lamented the proliferation of unwholesome antidiabetics in the country and urged people living with diabetes to be wary of unapproved medicines especially those with labels written in foreign languages such as Arabic inscriptions.

According to him, using unapproved drugs could worsen their conditions and may result in uncontrolled blood sugar, emergency hospital admission, disease complication and adverse reactions. He urged them to buy only from suppliers approved by the Pharmaceutical society of Nigeria (PSN) and also ensure that the pack bears a NAFDAC Registration number.

“Ensure the product meets the NAFDAC-approved standards for labeling for products in Nigeria which is English Language. No foreign language.”

The diabetologist also advised that people living with diabetes should not stop taking their medication because of high cost but rather visit their care givers to help work out an appropriate way to control their condition.

“Store products according to the authorized storage conditions, report any quality and technical defects, cases of suspected adverse events or other safety information and do not use any medicine if you suspect it to be counterfeit, adulterate or not approved by NAFDAC,” he further warned.

Fasanmade commended the Federal government for waiving import duties on antidiabetics though, he said, it is not confirmed yet if this has taken effect. He also called on the government to prioritise diabetes care like malaria and HIV by providing free community screening and subsidised drugs and monitoring devises. He urged the government to also include diabetes management in the Health Insurance Scheme to help reduce the current heavy burden on patients.

He disclosed that diabetes is on the increase in Nigeria and Africa in general though it is slightly on the decline in the developed world.  According to him, no fewer than four million people are living with it in Nigeria.

“This is a conservative estimate. Many of my colleagues and myself believe that the number of people living with diabetes in this country is much higher than this. It is believed that in the next two decades that the number will double.

“In 2021, it is believed that diabetes took away the lives of 48,375 people (in Nigeria), in 2022, if we project, probably 50,000 people died, in 2023, probably 52,000 to 53,000 and in 2024, I’m sure more than 54,000 have succumbed.” he said.